Car Hire Biella - Mini guide to Biella
Biella is found in the province Biella, in the region of Piedmont. It is located in the foothills of the Alps, in the mountain range known as Bo, and is watered by several mountain rivers: the Elvo, Oropa and Cervo. The plentiful water supply means the textile and wool industries can thrive (powering mills and washing wool would not be possible without it).
The lush pastures are perfect for sheep grazing, and so it was obvious that the main incomes would be from wool and cloth. Indeed, as far back as 1245 the statutes were already referring to the guilds of those working in the wool and weaving fields, and in 1695 silk was added to the mix. Later, the silk factory was again used for wool production – unfortunately now, the cheap manufacture of these products by places such as China has meant many wool plants have had to close.
The Sanctuary of Oropa is the site of religious pilgrimage for the pious, and the Sacred Mountain of Oropa since 2003 is on the World Heritage List. In 1617 building began near to the site of an existing Sanctuary of Virgin Mary, one of the oldest and best known in the region. There are 19 chapels, with 12 being linked by a devotional path, and inside these chapels are scenes depicting the life of the Virgin Mary.
The sanctuary also preserves a memorial of Saint Eusebius, who was banished by the Emperor Constanius to the Orient for defending Catholicism against Arianism. Legend has it that when Eusebius returned from the Orient he brought with him three images of the Virgin painted on cedar wood, and one of them he placed in an oratory he built.
The cathedral is also a site for those seeking more than the material – its baptistery is said to be an ancient Roman edifice, and is in the form of a small temple. The cathedral was built in 1402.
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